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Understand Photography General Notes
https://understandphotography.leadpages.co/4-weeks-photography-education-video/
Upcoming Trips:
Evergaldes 4 day Photo Adventure - January 31 - February 3, 2019
Ladies Only Trips:
Mt. Dora - December 5-7, 2018
Cuba - February 2 - 9, 2019
Check our Meetup site for more information.
New Book! Peggy Farren and Joe Fitzpatrick have published a book highlighting Florida’s best photo spots!
Find it here on Amazon!
Underwater Photography Tips with Award Winning Photographer Craig Dietrich
About Craig
Combined his love of scuba and passion for photography.
“It’s been an incredible journey of 8 years, but there’s so much more to see. I’m just getting started.”
Ninety percent of his income comes from selling images, and he also teaches underwater photography from Jupiter, FL as well as dive trips with Blue Water Photo in Culver City, CA.
“Underwater photography is EXTREMELY expensive.”
Craig’s System
- Canon 7D Mark II
- Wide lens - Tokina 10-17mm (perfect for crop-sensor camera… 10mm = fisheye)
- Macro lenses - 60mm and 100mm (can’t use zoom features when camera is enclosed in underwater housing - you NEED the RIGHT lens)
- Underwater housing - specific for your camera - runs about $3500 - every button and function is available.
- Dome port for wide angle lens - about $1200
- Flat ports for each macro lens
- Arm apparatus with 2 strobes (for wide angles use 2, for macro, use only 1 strobe)
- puts the strobes about 17” away from camera body
- connected with fiber optic cables (hardwired systems are finicky)
- LIGHTING IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!
- natural light is great, but disappears quickly as you descend
- colors disappear with depth - You need lights to bring out the natural colors of the animals.
Which lens do I use?
Each area you visit has specific species and habitats for EITHER macro OR wide - you can’t do both in one dive.
Most trips are specific - large rays, sharks, dolphins, sea turtles - use wide lens; small fish, nudibranchs, and corals - use macro lens.
Even with a wide lens - you need to be within 2-3 feet of your subject!! (At this distance, contrast, clarity and lighting will all be on point)
Macro lens needs to be within inches.
How do I get that close?
RELAX - do NOT chase your subject. Let them become comfortable with your presence in the water, find a good place to shoot, and hope they come to you. You need to understand the animal’s behaviors - this takes research as well as experience.
If you get aggressive with your camera you WILL scare away your subject.
“There is a TREMENDOUS jump in ability and skill when moving from macro to wide angle. There are SO MANY more variables.”
Settings
Craig shoots in manual and RAW.
Shutter speed at 250 (or 160 with compact)
F/16, 18 or 22
Strobes must be positioned properly to avoid “backscatter” - the snowy effect of particles in the water being lit up between the camera and the subject.
- The v-shaped arms for the strobes should direct the lights so they meet about 2-3 feet out in front of your camera. This will light the subject without lighting the particles in the water between you.
- Strobes are usually set at the same power, but don’t have to be.
Favorite Spot
Socorro Island, Mexico (fly into Cabo San Lucas then take 28 hour boat ride)
Giant Pacific Manta Rays, sharks, schools of Tuna and occasionally Humpback whales
Post Processing
Lightroom only - he takes pride in telling customers that there was NO PHOTOSHOP used.
“You’re shooting underwater with fish that are reflective. This makes it very difficult to impossible to get the right exposure.”
- easily manipulated in Lightroom.
All processing becomes individual to the photographer. Make it the way YOU want it to be.
Prints and Sales
Sells at art fairs and online.
Prints are all on aluminum from Shiny Prints in Jupiter, FL
Discount code CD30 for 30% off!
Finding Craig
Website - DietrichUnderwater.com
Facebook - Craig Dietrich Underwater Photography
Instagram - @scubaman11